Intel Core i5-4590T vs Intel Xeon W-2104 Comparison

The Intel Xeon W-2104 and Intel Core i5-4590T are both end-of-life, four-core, four-thread processors from Intel, yet they target entirely different segments. The Xeon W-2104 is a workstation part on the 2066 platform with a 120 W TDP, while the i5-4590T is a low-power desktop chip on Socket 1150 with a 35 W TDP. Despite their shared core count, the benchmark data reveals a consistent and substantial performance gap favoring the Xeon.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Xeon W-2104 wins every single benchmark in the comparison, and it does so by a remarkably uniform margin. Across five Cinebench tests, the Xeon leads by roughly 35% in every instance, indicating that the performance difference is systemic rather than workload-specific. The smallest margin is a 35.3% lead in Cinebench R20 single-core, while the largest is a 35.6% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core.

In multi-threaded workloads, the Xeon W-2104 posts 470 points in Cinebench R15 multicore versus 347 for the i5-4590T, a 35.4% advantage. This pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multicore, where the Xeon scores 1960 against 1446, a 35.5% gap, and in Cinebench R23 multicore, where the Xeon reaches 4669 versus 3445, again a 35.5% lead. These results clearly demonstrate that the Xeon’s higher base clock and newer architecture translate directly into superior throughput, even with identical core and thread counts.

Single-core performance tells the same story. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the Xeon W-2104 scores 276 against 204 for the i5-4590T, a 35.3% lead. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the margin grows slightly to 35.6%, with scores of 659 and 486 respectively. The Xeon also holds the edge in Cinebench R15 single-core, though that test was not part of the head-to-head table; the Xeon’s standalone score of 66 and the i5-4590T’s lack of a listed R15 single-core score reinforce the pattern seen elsewhere.

The overall average benchmark scores align with these findings. The Xeon W-2104 has an average benchmark score of 1350, while the i5-4590T sits at 1340, a delta of 0.8% in the Xeon’s favor according to its nearestRivals data. Interestingly, both processors occupy the same 36th percentile among all CPUs, indicating that while the Xeon is faster, both parts are positioned in the same performance tier overall.

The i5-4590T does have a win in one area not covered by the head-to-head table: Geekbench. It scores 2540 in Geekbench multicore and 911 in Geekbench singlecore, but the Xeon W-2104 has no Geekbench results listed, so no direct comparison is possible. The Xeon’s five wins and the i5-4590T’s zero wins in the head-to-head table make the overall verdict unambiguous.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core workloads?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2104 is consistently faster. It leads by 35.4% in Cinebench R15 multicore (470 vs 347), 35.5% in Cinebench R20 multicore (1960 vs 1446), and 35.5% in Cinebench R23 multicore (4669 vs 3445).

Q: Is the single-core performance gap as large as the multi-core gap?

A: Yes, it is nearly identical. The Xeon W-2104 leads by 35.3% in Cinebench R20 single-core (276 vs 204) and by 35.6% in Cinebench R23 single-core (659 vs 486), showing the advantage holds regardless of thread count.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Xeon W-2104 has an average benchmark score of 1350, while the Core i5-4590T has 1340. The i5-4590T’s nearestRivals data lists the Xeon as a rival with a deltaPct of -0.7%, indicating the Xeon is about 0.7% faster on average.

Q: Which processor has a higher base clock?

A: The Xeon W-2104 has a base clock of 3.20 GHz, while the Core i5-4590T has a base clock of 2000.00 MHz (2.00 GHz). The i5-4590T does have a boost clock of 3.00 GHz, but the Xeon has no listed boost clock.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. The Xeon W-2104 supports ECC memory, while the Core i5-4590T does not. This is a key differentiator for workstation use cases.

Q: What are their relative positions among all CPUs?

A: Both processors are in the 36th percentile among all CPUs, meaning they rank in the same tier overall, despite the Xeon’s clear performance lead in the head-to-head tests.

Architecture Differences

The Xeon W-2104 is built on the Skylake-W architecture using a 14 nm process node, while the Core i5-4590T uses the older Haswell architecture on a 22 nm process. This process shrink gives the Xeon a significant efficiency and performance advantage per clock, which is reflected in the benchmark deltas. The Xeon’s die size is 484 mm², while the i5-4590T’s die is much smaller at 177 mm², and the i5-4590T’s transistor count is listed at 1,400 million, whereas the Xeon’s transistor count is not specified.

Cache configurations also differ substantially. The Xeon W-2104 has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 1 MB of L2 cache per core, while the i5-4590T has 64 KB of L1 per core but only 256 KB of L2 per core. The shared L3 cache is 8.25 MB on the Xeon versus 6 MB on the i5-4590T, giving the Xeon a clear memory hierarchy advantage.

Memory support is another major divide. The Xeon W-2104 supports DDR4 memory over a quad-channel bus with a memory bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s, while the i5-4590T supports DDR3 over a dual-channel bus with only 25.6 GB/s of bandwidth. This more than triple the memory bandwidth is a critical factor for workstation workloads. The Xeon also supports ECC memory, which the i5-4590T lacks.

PCIe connectivity differs as well. The Xeon W-2104 provides 48 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (CPU only), whereas the i5-4590T provides just 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. This makes the Xeon far more suitable for multi-GPU or high-bandwidth I/O configurations. The Xeon has no integrated graphics, while the i5-4590T includes Intel HD 4600 graphics, making the i5 a more self-contained desktop solution.

The market segments reflect these architectural choices. The Xeon W-2104 is classified as a Server/Workstation part, while the i5-4590T is aimed at the Desktop segment. The Xeon’s socket is Intel Socket 2066, while the i5-4590T uses Intel Socket 1150, meaning they are not interchangeable in any system.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the Intel Xeon W-2104 for any workload where raw CPU performance matters. Across all five head-to-head Cinebench tests, the Xeon leads by margins between 35.3% and 35.6%, a consistent and decisive advantage that holds for both single-core and multi-core tasks. The Xeon’s superior memory bandwidth (85.3 GB/s vs 25.6 GB/s), larger L3 cache (8.25 MB vs 6 MB), and double the L2 cache per core (1 MB vs 256 KB) provide the architectural foundation for this lead. For users building a workstation on Socket 2066, the Xeon W-2104 is the clear choice.

The Intel Core i5-4590T still has a role, but it is a different one. Its 35 W TDP is dramatically lower than the Xeon’s 120 W TDP, making it suitable for power-constrained or compact desktop builds. It also includes integrated Intel HD 4600 graphics, eliminating the need for a discrete GPU in basic systems. Its average benchmark score of 1340 is only 0.8% lower than the Xeon’s 1350, but that narrow average gap masks the fact that the Xeon wins every direct comparison by over 35%. The i5-4590T’s launch MSRP was $192, while the Xeon’s was $255, but both parts are end-of-life.

For a workstation user prioritizing multi-threaded rendering, memory bandwidth, or ECC support, the Xeon W-2104 is the only sensible option. For a low-power desktop user who needs integrated graphics and minimal heat output, the i5-4590T remains viable. The benchmark results do not support any other conclusion: the Xeon W-2104 is the faster processor in every measured category, and the i5-4590T’s only advantages are power consumption and integrated graphics, neither of which appears in the performance data.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two processors, based solely on the FACT PACK data:

• Base Clock: 3.20 GHz (Xeon W-2104) vs 2000.00 MHz (Core i5-4590T)
• Boost Clock: None listed (Xeon W-2104) vs 3.00 GHz (Core i5-4590T)
• TDP: 120 W (Xeon W-2104) vs 35 W (Core i5-4590T)
• Socket: Intel Socket 2066 (Xeon W-2104) vs Intel Socket 1150 (Core i5-4590T)
• Architecture: Skylake (Xeon W-2104) vs Haswell (Core i5-4590T)
• Process Node: 14 nm (Xeon W-2104) vs 22 nm (Core i5-4590T)
• Die Size: 484 mm² (Xeon W-2104) vs 177 mm² (Core i5-4590T)
• L2 Cache: 1 MB per core (Xeon W-2104) vs 256 KB per core (Core i5-4590T)
• L3 Cache: 8.25 MB shared (Xeon W-2104) vs 6 MB shared (Core i5-4590T)
• Memory Support: DDR4 (Xeon W-2104) vs DDR3 (Core i5-4590T)
• Memory Bus: Quad-channel (Xeon W-2104) vs Dual-channel (Core i5-4590T)
• Memory Bandwidth: 85.3 GB/s (Xeon W-2104) vs 25.6 GB/s (Core i5-4590T)
• ECC Memory: True (Xeon W-2104) vs False (Core i5-4590T)
• PCIe Lanes: Gen 3, 48 Lanes (Xeon W-2104) vs Gen 3, 16 Lanes (Core i5-4590T)
• Integrated Graphics: None (Xeon W-2104) vs Intel HD 4600 (Core i5-4590T)
• Market Segment: Server/Workstation (Xeon W-2104) vs Desktop (Core i5-4590T)
• Release Date: 2017-08-28 (Xeon W-2104) vs 2014-05-10 (Core i5-4590T)
• Launch MSRP: $255 (Xeon W-2104) vs $192 (Core i5-4590T)
• Transistors: Not specified (Xeon W-2104) vs 1,400 million (Core i5-4590T)
• Part Number: SR3LH (Xeon W-2104) vs SR1S6 (Core i5-4590T)